Off The Map
by Ocean Maid
Summary: "Where the hell am I?" Chloe Anderson was no different from any other 18 year old girl. However, one day things start to go bad — really bad, and Chloe somehow finds herself in Middle-earth...
1. To The Point Of Insanity

Chapter One ~ To The Point Of Insanity

 _"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." - Walt Disney_

CPOV

When I had left my rental apartment the huge city was only waking up. The sky was a smudged salmon pink and baby blue, the pigeons were squawking their heads off at each other, the traffic was down to about a dozen cars per minute, the air was cool and fresh, and I was still drinking my morning coffee; but now, it was energized and raring to go. The sky was a pale blue spattered with fluffy clouds, the pigeons squawks could be heard no more over the loud hooting of the cars and shouting of the people, the roads were buzzing with fumes and there was hardly a millimetre between each car, pollution suffocated the air, and my polystyrene coffee cup left forgotten on the passenger seat. Beep! I heard my Iphone buzz, so single-handedly reached for it and checked for a message.

 _ **Today**_ _08:30_

 _Hi, Chlo!  
_ _R U at College yet, cuz I M. Do U wnt 2 catch ^ b4 it starts? if so, I'll MEt U at d big oak trEE.  
_ _luv you,  
_ _Emma x_

The text was from my best friend, Emma Cooper. Emma had chocolate brown hair that fell past her shoulders and was always tied in a messy braid, teal eyes that held many smiles in themselves, full hot pink lips, a pale complexion, and always attracted the male gender. A smile graced my lips at the text and quickly sent a reply.

 _ **Today** 08:32_

 _Hey, Emma!  
_ _No, I'm not at College yet, but wiL b n bout 10 mins n ther iz n mjr TraFK jams.  
_ _I'll MEt U at d tree, thN I hav 2 go 2 class, & U cn MEt ^ w Luke :)  
_ _luv U too,  
_ _Chlo x_

After sending the text, I directed all my attention at the road to try to get to Oak Heights College before it would be too late to meet up with my friend. Glancing out of the window, I noticed a group of black and white people standing on the sidewalk, holding up signs which words were scribbled in red paint, it read: Support Donald Trump! I rolled my eyes and continued to drive. Everyone was going crazy about the new President election, which I thought was totally pointless. I mean, when the day came to vote, everyone should just hand in their slip saying who they thought was the best president for the USA — there was no need for complete madness. To prove my point, I just saw a band of youngsters shouting out to every passer-by:

"God bless Hillary Clinton! God bless Hillary Clinton!" Now that, was a bit over-the-top. My mum's dad was a priest at a church when she was a girl and I found him to be a very wise man and a good friend. Sometimes, he was the only one who would listen to me. My mum always took me to church on a Sunday when I was little, but everything got so crazy when I started to grow up, so I hadn't really been for a good while. Although, my mum still sometimes went, my dad never went with her. He wasn't really a man of God; he was a strict businessman, and I hardly ever saw him, so my relationship with him was always awkward. Beep! Another text had just come through from, who I presumed was, Emma.

 _ **Today** 08:40_

 _whr R u? It's Bin nErly 10 minutes!  
_ _Emma x_

Needless to say, Emma wasn't the most patient of people — and to be fair, neither was I. I hooted loudly at the woman who was driving in front of me who could've gone at the green light for the last three minutes. She got the message, and hurriedly turned the corner as I carried on going straight. Estimating that I would reach the College in about three minutes, I decided to inform that to my friend.

 _ **Today** 08:42_

 _b there n 3 minutes! Promise!_

I pressed the 'send' button just as I drove into the College car park. After I parked my blue car into the slot, I grabbed my Iphone, satchel that was overflowing with books, and my empty coffee cup, then got out. Looking around, I spotted Emma waving frantically at me from the ancient oak tree that appeared on the College's logo. Smiling, I walked over and gave her a one-armed hug as my other arm held my gear.

"What took you so long?" she asked as we broke apart.

"Traffic problems," I answered with a roll of my eyes. Emma poked out her tongue in sympathy.

"So, what are you doing this evening?" she queried as we began to walk toward the Oak Heights entrance. That was Emma, always looking into the future.

"Well, I'm going to work at The Falcon tonight, that's about all." The Falcon was a pub down Martin's Street that was really popular with the New York City residents and it was where I worked everyday after all my classes had finished until around midnight. We reached the hallway which lead to all the classes downstairs.

"Well, I better go, but I'll see you later," I farewelled.

"Okay, see ya!" Emma replied with a wave and headed off to her first class which was Art. I checked my golden analogue watch and frowned. I had only three minutes to get to class and settle down! Starting to speed walk as we weren't allowed to run in the corridors, I made my way upstairs. On my way I passed Emma's boyfriend, Luke Murphy, and gave him a friendly nod of the head in greeting as I sped up the stairs. At first, he didn't recognise me , but when he did he sent me a smile and a wave.

Finally, I arrived at my class, and burst in, panting like crazy. I wasn't unfit or anything, but all the stress added to the exhaustion. When I came in I saw everyone sitting quietly at their desks, and Mr. D. Brady tapping his fingers impatiently on his laptop.

"Would you care to explain, Miss. Anderson, why you are late?" he queried. My cheeks is flushed beetroot.

"Um, I…" I mumbled.

"Yes?"

"I lost track of time…" I muttered lamely.

"Very well, I think a trip to the Headmistress' office will do you good, don't you think?"he asked rhetorically.

"Oh, but, sir —"

"No buts. Go straight to Mrs. Kramer's office immediately." Sighing, I gave up my argument and headed grouchily to the Headmistress' office. There was few people in the corridors now, only the odd Teacher running errands or student collecting their books. I walked quickly but quietly as I didn't want this to take more than it had to. The Headmistress was a stern but reasonable woman who had a penchant to dress in a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt and pencil skirt even on the hottest of days. I came to her door and rapped on it three times.

"Come in," her voice responded. I sighed and slowly creaked open the door. Mrs. Kramer was sitting comfortably at her desk, her reading glasses were perched on her nose, and her ginger hair was pulled back into a tight bun. She looked up and a frown entered her face. "Oh, it's you again." I smiled shamefully and took the seat opposite hers. I had been to her office quite a few times this year; it wasn't exactly always my fault but things never seemed to favour me.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kramer," I greeted politely.

"Good morning, Miss. Anderson," she gave a curt roll of her eyes. "Why are you here this time?"

"Well, you see, I lost track of time, it had been such a busy morning, and I was sort of late for class. Mr. Brady got annoyed and sent me here," I retold, bowing my head.

"And so he should of! How many times, Chloe, do I have to say: do not be a disappointment to Oak Heights College! But you never do listen, do you?"

"I'm sorry, mam, I won't do it again."

"'Sorry' won't quite cut it this time. A punishment, I think, will ought to do the trick, hmm?" she argued.

"Perhaps," I muttered.

"Perhaps? Very well, you shall spend all your free moments reorganizing the bookshelves in the library. They do need a good tidy, and I think you will be the perfect person for the job!"

"Yes, Mrs. Kramer," I mumbled.

"Understood? Good, now bother me with your company no longer! Off you go!" she ordered, and I stood up, left her office, and walked back to class.

Consequently, the remainder of my college day wasn't one I would want to remember. Besides receiving numerous paper cuts from the hundreds of books I had placed away, I also experienced glaring looks from Mr. Brady all lesson, my tray of cafeteria food spilling down my shirt because I tripped over another student, and a heap of flippin' annoying headaches! In short, by the time the bell had rang signalling the end of my last class that today, I was exhausted and highly frustrated. I collected by books off my table and nodded to my History Professor before heading out of the door just in time to see Emma walk out of her classroom.

"Hey, Chloe!" she greeted, stuffing her books into her bag and coming over to me. She grinned and I tried to force one back. At this moment, I just wanted to get home and relax. "How's your day?"

"In truth? It was terrible!" I exclaimed finally letting my emotions run free.

"How come?" Emma said, giving me a sympathetic smile. Nothing seemed to ever dampen my best friend's spirits.

"Well… it's kind of a long story," I replied, tucking a loose strand of my ginger hair behind my ear.

"We've got until we reach the car park, and that's at least ten minutes if we walk slowly," reasoned Emma and I gave her a brief nod. "Okay, now start at the beginning.

Approximately ten minutes later I had finished recounting my long, tiresome day. Feeling sorry for me, Emma decided we should both go to Starbucks to lighten my mood, and I reluctantly agreed. Usually, I wasn't one to turn down food; according to Emma and my parents, I ate as much as about three fully grown men! But, today I just wasn't feeling up to anything, but this only helped Emma's cause.

We both climbed into our cars and agreed to meet at Starbucks in five minutes as it was only a few blocks away from Oak Heights. On my way to Starbucks, I noticed a group of odd people dressed up as medieval knights. They must had been going to some dress up party because they looked pretty convincing. For a moment, I focused on the road, but then decided to have one last look at the group, but when I looked, they weren't there. That was strange… I muttered in my head, I was so sure I had seen them. As Starbucks came into view, I shrugged off the thought, locked my car, and met Emma at the entrance.

"So, what do you want?" Emma asked as we walked into the cafe. I gave her a look of shock that was only half joking,

"Don't you dare even think about it, Miss. Cooper, I am paying for myself!" I answered stubbornly. I disliked anyone paying for me at any time, friends or not friends, it didn't matter.

"Whatever! Look at you, you're a wreck! Your hair's all frazzled, your clothes are a mess, and your whole attitude is down-hearted! Chloe Amelia Anderson, I am your best friend, and I am going to pay for you!" Emma ranted, making me roll my eyes, but I also knew what she said was true.

"Alright, alright!" I replied, a smile gracing my lips. "You order us something small to eat, and I'll go to the bathroom and get tidied up. But remember, this is a once off!" I shouted back as I went over to the bathroom. One look in the mirror and I really saw how terrible I looked. My waist-length, wavy hair was falling out of it's ponytail into a few knots, my grey eyes were tired, my taffy-pink lips had released many sighs, and my clothes were more than scruffy. Sighing, I tried to tame my wild hair, and straighten my clothes. When I was done and quite respectable, I walked out and found my friend sitting at a polished table with two ice chocolates and a chocolate brownie.

"Thanks," I said while joining her at the table and taking a sip of my drink.

"Welcome," she answered. "You look a lot better,"

"Yeah, well, hopefully my day will go a bit more smoothly now." I then remembered seeing Luke in the corridor so asked about him. "How are you and Luke?" Every time we spoke about her boyfriend a wide smile would enter her face, and this time was no different.

"We're great. He's taking me out to dinner tomorrow night, and then we're gonna watch a movie," she answered happily. "What's up with Aidan and you? Have you spoken recently?" Emma was referring to Aidan Winston my three year long boyfriend. We met at a high school dance and have been together ever since. However, Aidan's parents were really wealthy so sent him to a private college in Chicago so I hardly ever saw him nowadays, but we promised to remain in touch and make our relationship work. I hadn't spoken for him in at least two weeks so decided to phone him tonight.

"No, not really, " I replied to her question. "But I plan to speak to him tonight, I bet he'll be really excited to hear from me."

"Good idea," she encouraged.

"So, talking about tonight, do you wanna come with me to work at The Falcon? I'm sure my boss won't mind an extra pair of hands. Fridays are our busy days after all—Hey!" My attention was drawn away when a man appeared out of nowhere and snatched my bag.

"What the heck!" Emma shouted and got to her feet. I was already running out of the door, following the thief. How dare he?! That bag had all my stuff in it—my money as well!

"Oi!" I shouted to him. "Come back here!" But the man either didn't hear me or decided to ignore me. I heard Emma calling behind me, but I continued to run. "Hey! Give that back!" Finally, I gave up and watched angrily as the thief disappeared into the distance. I panted rather heavily as that man was quite a sprinter. Emma soon caught up to me.

"That rotten git!" she cursed, annoyed for me.

"I know," I replied through gritted teeth. "What am I going to do?!"

"I don't really know. You could go to the police but they don't really take stuff like this seriously. I could give you some money but I don't really have bucket loads, or you could ask Aidan he has lots." Emma brainstormed. I knew she was trying to be helpful but her ideas weren't that great. Firstly, I would never ask for money from other people, it just wasn't done! Of course, if I asked Aidan would hand me some cash but I would only feel guilty. I'd just have to work double time and double as hard, probably cut some of my classes off as well. Damn, I cursed. My anger had mostly melted away leaving only sadness and stress.

"Well, you were wrong about one thing," said Emma, attempting to lighten my mood for the second time.

"What's that?" I asked, tired.

"That things were going to get any smoother." I gave a very light smile at that and rolled my eyes. My friend was such an optimist!

A few hours later, I was getting ready for work even though I was absolutely wasted! I had bid farewell to Emma soon after my bag had gotten stolen and had drove home to my apartment. It was a small but cozy place

with olive green striped wallpaper and beige carpet. I tied my hair up into a high ponytail and changed into my black and white waitress uniform. All through this process, I couldn't prevent worries consuming my mind. How would I cope without money? How was I going to pay for food and the rental of my apartment? How was I supposed accomplish my homework when all my books had been stolen? How was I going to buy new books? Trying to move my nagging worries to the side, I hopped into my car and headed to The Falcon. Emma said she would meet me there, which was a slight relief because I didn't think I would be able to work so alone. I absentmindedly stared out of the window and noticed another weird-looking group of people, this time dressed up as poor, peasant farmers from around the 14th century. I shook my head in confusement. Was there some massive party that everyone was going to? I didn't understand at all. Suddenly, my headache returned with a throbbing pain. I clutched my head and sweared under my breath. The headache soon faded away and I glanced back to where I saw the weird people but again they had disappeared. What in the world was going on?! Was I having hallucinations or something?! I shook my head again and cleared the strange dress-up people from my mind. Right now, I needed to focus on my work. I entered the pub and saw many people there already and it wasn't even nine o'clock yet! I found my way to the kitchen where there was a white board and quickly scribbled my name and the time down onto it, notifying my boss that I had turned up.

"Hey, Chloe!" greeted a middle-aged, blonde woman.

"Hi, Denise," I said, sharing a genuine smile with her. When I first started working here, Denise was the one that helped and pointed me in the right direction. Without her, I didn't know where I would be.

"How's your day been?" she asked. I sighed.

"Trust me, it's been a nightmare!"

"Oh. Well I hope it gets better soon," she sympathized. "I've turned the computer on so you can check all the orders." I nodded and went to check out the recent orders.

After waitressing for about an hour, Emma arrived and came up and gave me a hug.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized, letting me go.

"All goods." I replied and placed the dirty tray in the kitchen sink. "Here, I'll show you to where the spare uniforms are." Emma followed me to a paint-peeling, white cupboard and chose a uniform to quickly slip on in the bathroom. Minutes later, my friend returned and I gave her the thumbs up. She looked great in black, in fact, she looked great in every colour which sometimes made me the tiniest bit jealous.

"Thanks," she glanced at all the people settling down at the tables or gambling in the corners. "Should I get started, I think I know what to do." I nodded in agreement and directed her toward a table while I walked over to another. Two scrawny-looking men sat there playing cards.

"Hello, welcome to The Falcon. Is there anything you would like to order?" One of the men looked up with squinting eyes and grinned, revealing unbrushed teeth.

"Only one night with you, love." He drawled, chuckling. I swallowed my disapproval and disgust and tried to be polite.

"I'm sorry, that's not on our menu. Anything else?"

"Um… yeah, two beers," he answered, looking grumpy at my rejection toward him. I nodded, scribbled it down in my notebook and walked away to get it organized. I got out a bottle of beer and poured it into two mugs. Then, I put the two mugs onto a tray and brought it back to them.

"Your order," I uttered and gave them their mugs then walked away before they had anytime to comment. Suddenly, I had a feeling like I was forgetting something. Then it hit me, I was supposed to call my boyfriend!

I took out my Iphone and speed dialled his number. I was really excited to hear from him, and I bet he would be overwhelmed to hear from me. I knew Aidan would be able to make all my worries wash away. However, the voice that answered wasn't one I recognized.

"Hi, Brittney speaking. Who is it?" A pretty voice said then I heard another faint but familiar voice talk to 'Brittney'.

"Who is it, babe?" A hundred sharp fingernails scratched at my heart, slowly tearing it to spreads. It was Aidan's voice. My boyfriend's voice.

"I don't know, baby, nobody answering," the pretty voice replied so sweetly that it sickened me.

"Then just ditch the phone and come back to the couch" Aidan's voice answered in a tone I'd never heard before. With every word, my heart sunk deeper and deeper into the darkness. My head throbbed. Tears threatened spill. My lips quivered uncontrollably. A few moments later I heard some muttering then the phone went dead. I couldn't hold it back any longer. I ran outside, accidentally dropping my food tray clattering onto the ground. The fresh, chilly air hit me as I entered into the lonely night. I wanted to scream and cry but I couldn't. How could he do that to me?! I thought I had finally found my Disney lover. My prince charming. My future husband even! But my mum was right all along. There was no such thing as fairy tale love. Only cheaters, backstabbers, and fakes. Was that all it was? All love was? Fake? Questions raced through my mind, but I wanted to stamp on them and throw them away. My hands clenched into fists and I sweared at how stupid Aidan was. How stupid that Brittney girl was. How stupid I was. Soon, Emma left The Falcon and saw me screaming on the sidewalk so went up to me.

"Oh, Chloe, what happened to you?" Emma coaxed, giving me a hug, but all I could do was cry. All the anger had left me now leaving only grief and despair. "Come on, you know you can tell me anything." I only whimpered slightly in response. Emma glanced down at me phone and saw Aidan's caller ID still on the screen. "Oh, no…" she muttered, understanding darkening her eyes. "He didn't…" she started.

"He did," I said, speaking for the first time. She wrapped her arms tighter around me as tears swelled beneath my eyes.

"You're okay, Chloe, you're stronger than this. You didn't nothing wrong, I promise." Emma said, encouragingly. I nodded and dried up the tears with the sleeve of my shirt.

"T-Thanks, Emma. But I just want to be left alone for a little while," I mumbled as my friend let me go.

"That's alright, I understand. I think I'll be going home soon anyway, so if you need me, I'm only a phone call away." With that said, she began to head toward here car, but I didn't really notice. Almost as soon as she went, my phone rang. Thinking it was Emma, I pressed the green answer button and held my phone limply to my ear.

"Evening, this is Graham Baker, Manager of The Falcon. Have I got, Chloe Anderson?" A slightly gruff voice said. I was confused, why was my boss phoning me?

"Yes, this is Chloe," I replied, quite glad that my voice didn't sound that quivery on the phone.

"Good, well, I am phoning to inform you that two of our customer complained about your service. They said that you didn't give them what they wanted, and another three of your customer complained that you dropped their food all over the floor, making them pay again for another meal. Therefore, with this information, I am afraid that you must be suspended from work until further notice. Regards, Graham." He hung up, leaving me speechless. How… Why… What… Again, unwanted questions consumed me, and my phone hand hung limp.  
In those moments, I wanted to rid myself of all pain, to just disappear, fall asleep and never wake up. How was I supposed to live without a job or any money? As more tears poured down my mascara-stained face, I walked shakily toward the nearest bench and sat down. The night was cold and miserable, even the colourful NYC lights seemed to radiate frozen, dark waves. What had happened to me today? My life went from normal and perfect to infuriating and insane. Suddenly, my phone rang again, and I almost just switched it off before I saw who was calling: Mum. A sigh of relief escaped my dry mouth and I answered my phone.

"Hi, mum," I said.

"Hello, dear. How are you?" The kind, comforting voice of my mum asked. However, I was surprised to hear that she sounded rather sad, like she too was holding back tears. I instantly forgot my problems.

"Mum, are you alright? You kind of sound depressed."

"Oh, sweetie, that's because I am. You see, I'm phoning because...well…" she paused and let out a loud sniffle as if it pained her to say it. I bit my lip. How much bad news would I encounter today? "Chloe, your grandfather died this morning. We only were alerted an hour ago." My throat was zapped dry for the umpteenth time that day. My head throbbed with agonizing pain and my stomach dropped.

"What?!" Was all I could muster myself to say. I pleaded to God that I had misheard her and my loving grandfather was still happily reading his philosophy books in his cozy lounge.

"I'm so sorry, darling…" she paused, and I heard her cry a little. "H-He meant a lot to all of us. His f-funeral will occur in three days. W-We hope you'll be able to m-make it." I breathed in and out heavily. My grandfather was the wisest person I had ever known. He seemed to know everything about everything. And now he was gone. Forever.

"T-Thanks for letting me know," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'll be at h-his funeral."

"Okay, well, it was n-nice talking to you, Chloe, hopefully, I'll see you soon," my mum farewelled, and then hung up. Suddenly everything just came down on me like a huge boulder. I screamed. I threw my phone onto the tar road, the force smashing it to pieces. I screamed until the tears clogged up my throat. I punched the concrete wall behind me, kicked the bench, and then slid to the ground in depression. My hands were stinging and my eyes hurt from all the crying, but the pain inside my heart hurt so much, I thought it was going to be scarred for life. There was no denying it: I was at the point of insanity. I needed to do something; anything! Then something happened I did not expect. A breeze of warmness came from out of nowhere. And I did something I was always taught to do by my mum when in bad situations. I prayed.

"Whatever God that's out there; help me! Please! Make all the pain go away. Make my life become meaningful again; purposeful. Help me, and I promise I will do whatever you ask," I finished my prayer, meaning every word I said. I expected to feel something; but I didn't. Depressed, I stood up and walked onto the road to head to my apartment. Without warning, when I was midway across, I blinding light shot toward me. A car. I didn't have time to move. The car didn't stop. I let out a ear-piercing scream. All faded black.


	2. Be Careful What You Pray For

Chapter Two ~ Be Careful What You Pray For

 _"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." - Jesus Christ_

CPOV

Black. Grey. Dark red. Black. White. Light Blue. Black.

Bewildering colours merged into one another, and an echoing chant could be faintly heard from far away; yet it seemed so close. I was flying, but could not move. I was singing, but could not talk. I was dreaming, but was not asleep. It was night, but also day. It was dark, but also light. Shadows crawled in and out of my vision. Lights flickered on and off at will. I felt like I was falling down an endless abyss. Falling... and falling... and falling... and THUD!

I awoke to gentle music, as if the ocean and the sky themselves were singing a long forgotten lullaby, that had slipped out of even the most ancient memories. At first, I could not see; I was blinded. I lay there, in the unknown, so long that time seemed to stand still. The first thing that came back to me was the sense of smell. The smell of fresh river water and damp forest leaves. Then the sense of touch entered into my body. I felt moist leaves and grass that felt as green as the brightest emerald, and I felt rough twigs that scratched my arms and dug into my back. The savour of chilled, night air flooded into my dry mouth, marking the return of taste. I could then hear silent rustlings, a light breeze, quiet mutterings, and my shallow breathing. Finally, my sapphire eyes fluttered open. Fuzzy blurs slowly turned into the canopy of a dense, lush forest. My head throbbed and I felt like I couldn't talk. Suddenly, my memory came jolting back to me. A car... grandfather... Aidan... Emma... Carefully and weakly, I attempted to sit up. It took a while but I eventually found the strength to manage it. A wave of dizziness washed over me, but I shook my head to get rid of it. My hands crept to my tangled hair and felt crinkled leaves, stray twigs, and sprinklings of dirt. I had no doubt that I was by far in my worst condition. What had happened? Was I... dead? I swallowed and blinked a few times. I didn't feel dead, but nor did I feel fully alive. I let out a rather loud groan of pain as I tried to stand. I couldn't. I ignored the agony and endeavoured over and over again but achieved no victory. Giving up, I slumped to the ground, making a whimper escape my lips. The mutterings that were growing louder, silenced at this as if they were holding their breath. I remained silent and the mutterings soon continued, though quieter than before. Thoughts started to stream through my mind. Were there other people in this forest? If so, who were they? Could they help me? Would they help me? My head lolled to one side and I went over the circumstances in my head, and tried to think of a solution for the mess she was in. In the end, she decided to risk it and call for help. Hopefully those people she heard would come to her aid, if not... She washed away the thought and cleared her voice, ready to shout.

"HELP!" I cried, resulting in a burning sensation to form in the back of my throat and my head to pound uncontrollably. "HELP! PLEASE, HELP!" No-one came. Did they not hear me? I thought I had shouted loud enough. Even though I was starting to feel rather faint, I was determined to try one more time. "PLEASE! SOMEONE! HELP!" My vision became uneven and my eyes rolled without my consent. "Please..." I said hopelessly as black spots appeared in my eyes. Blurred figures suddenly became visible from out of no-where, and were walking toward me. However, my sight darkened before they could reach me.

* * *

"Who is she, Strider? Do you know her?" An unfamiliar voice of a male asked.

"No, her face sparks no familiarity within me. And her clothes are unlike any I've ever seen before. Perhaps she is from far down in the South," answered another unknown, male voice who she supposed was 'Strider'. This voice was older though, and more knowledgeable.

"When will she awaken?" Yet another younger voice queried.

"Have patience, Pippin. However, I would say very soon. Her fever has gone down quite a bit, and she has been twitching slightly as well," replied this 'Strider'. I attempted to open my eyes, but they did not budge.

"Well, that's good, because I want to get going as soon as possible. Mr. Frodo will need me," the first voice commented. This left me confused. Going? Going where? And what sort of name was 'Frodo'?

"Frodo is out of our reach now, Sam," Strider said. "We can only hope he made it safely to Rivendell." Rivendell? I thought, where on earth was Rivendell?

"You don't think those Ringwraiths would have caught him, do you? Who knows what they'd do to him, then!" 'Sam' asked desperately. Ringwraith? What was a Ringwraith, for goodness sake? Anyway, whatever they were, they didn't sound pleasant.

"I do not know," Strider answered solemnly. Again, I tried to open eyes, and this time it worked. Bright light greeted me, making me squeeze shut my eyes, before slowly reopening them, and letting them adjust to the surroundings. As the light faded, she found herself, once again, staring up at the lush green canopy. I lifted my heavy head up a bit so I could see my 'companions'. One of them had a tan complexion, shoulder-length dark hair, a stubble beard, and ragged olden-day clothing. The other three were about half his size, wore old clothes, and, to my surprise, had huge hairy feet. Two of them had curly blonde hair, and cheeky grins that were hidden with a worried expression. The last one was a little plumper than the others, had straight blonde hair, and a caring face. One of the short, curly-haired ones spotted I was awake first.

"Hey! Look, she's awake!" The tallest person immediately got up, kneeled next to me, and helped myself get propped up against a tree behind me.

"Are you alright, my lady?" he asked, concerned. At this I had to bite my tongue not to laugh. My lady? Seriously? Were these people dressing up and pretending to be medieval characters; because they were very convincing. "My lady?" he repeated.

"Um, I'm fine, thanks, I think," I mumbled, uncertainly flowing through me.

"Thanks goodness, you have set our hearts at rest. You were out cold for at least a day,"

"A DAY?!" I cried in shock. I'd never even been out for longer than ten minutes before! The man looked a little overwhelmed by my sudden outburst but nodded his head anyway.

"Yes, that is what I said."

"Oh," I felt quite embarrassed now, but tried not to show it. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

"I am Strider, a ranger of the north. And this is Pippin, Sam, and Merry, who are hobbits." He answered. A ranger of the north? What was that? And what were hobbits?

"Oh, and where am I?" I inquired.

"You are on The East Road, only about two days travel from Rivendell, my lady," replied the man patiently. Well, I knew for a fact there was no place in the world called Rivendell. But then if I wasn't in the world, then where was I?

"Rivendell, you say? Where the heck is that?" I asked getting annoyed. If this was someone's idea of a joke...

"On the border of the Misty Mountains," he answered, without showing any notice of my rudeness.

"The Misty Mountains?" I repeated, clueless. "Where are they? In India or something?"

"I'm afraid I don't know where India is, my lady, but the Misty Mountains spread through many places in Middle-earth."

"Middle-earth? Where's that? On, like, the equator?" I questioned, my mind overflowing with questions and possibilities.

"I am not quite sure of what you mean," he said.

"Oh, um... nevermind." I replied. Could he be telling the truth and I really was in some random foreign world? I mean, I saw no lie in his eyes. Perhaps, he had mental health issues.

"I'm sorry, but we have no time for questions at the moment, we must be on our way to Rivendell. A friend of ours was ill and needed the aid of the elves." Elves?! Elves could flippin' heal people?! They weren't even supposed to exist! Maybe I'm getting delusional...

"Oh, yes, um, of course. Thanks for helping me, you should be on your way," I farewelled, bewildered.

"Do not be foolish, we aren't going to leave you by yourself in the wilderness. You will come with us and stay in Rivendell until you are healed.

"Um, okay?" I said awkwardly.

"You will ride with me on the horse I am riding, Ilio," Strider informed, and I looked at him incredulously.

"We're riding horses to this 'Rivendell'?"

"Yes, well, the hobbits are riding ponies, of course."

"Why not just drive there in a car? It would be so much quicker."

"A car? What is that? Is it a breed of animal, my lady?" asked Strider, looking at me weirdly. Oh my gosh. they didn't know what cars were, that meant they couldn't of been invented! This really was like the medieval centuries.

"Uh, nevermind." I muttered.

"Well, we better start packing up. You can just rest until we are finished," advised Strider as he got up and saddled up the horse and ponies and the 'hobbits' rolled up their blankets. I watched the scene in silence, wondering what was going on in my crazy life. But, somehow, I couldn't help but believe Strider that I was in another universe named Middle-earth. Everything just seemed to fall into place. Minutes later, Strider came back over to me after they'd finished packing up. "Are you feeling well, my lady?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm alright. Just a bit dizzy, is all," I spoke truthfully, but then added. "You don't have to keep calling me 'my lady' by the way, I'm only a everyday woman." Strider looked at me slightly perplexed, but shrugged it off.

"Very well, then what shall I call you?" he questioned. I had quite forgotten that I hadn't told them my name. Should I? I mean, I hardly knew them. But they seemed to be my only means of company so I gave in.

"Um, my name's Chloe Anderson," I muttered, not quite looking him in the eye.

"Chloe Anderson," he mused. "That is a highly unusual name for someone from the east,"

"I'm not from the east," I answered and then whispered. "In truth, I don't know where I'm from." Strider sent me an odd look.

"You must have hit your head rather hard. Never you mind, Lord Elrond shall lend you fine treatment for that," the man commented, more to himself then me. "Well, we better get you onto Ilio. We want to reach Rivendell as soon as possible." Without waiting for an answer, Strider picked me up bridal style and helped me get comfortable on the sleek chestnut horse. Once the three hobbits were also seated and ready to go, Strider mounted Ilio swiftly so he was in front of me, and we went on our way.

It was almost two days of restless, tiresome travelling since I found myself in Middle-earth. And I had never thought I'd done so much exercise in my life. The terrain of the land was not the most Chloe-friendly, especially since I was far from feeling 100 percent. However, over time, I was slowly healing and gradually was starting to accept that I was in some unknown world. The thought was disturbing at first but she eventually, after lots of thinking, had gotten over it. I had also bonded quite quickly with the small hobbits. Merry and Pippin were particular kind to me and had an incredible sense of humour that always cracked a smile onto my face. Sam was a little suspicious of me at first, always watching my every move and asking me interrogating questions; however, once I had saved him from accidentally treading on a poisonous snake, he began to warm up to me. I discovered that Sam had a passion for gardening and, of course, as I soon found out, eating. All the hobbits never seemed to lose track of when it was breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, dessert, supper, and that was without counting the snacks in between. On the other hand, I noticed that Strider hardly touched any food at all, and certainly acted like he was used to the wilderness unlike the hobbits. If truth be told, I wasn't the most pleasant of company with all those nasty insects and wild animals wandering around freely, and not having a congenial place to sleep. What could I say? I was a Girly girl at heart. Nevertheless, despite the intolerable wildlife and unpleasant bedding, I found myself enjoying the stunning blue mountains in the distance that was coated with pure white snow, and the azure ever-flowing streams and rivers, and the elderly, gnarled trees that bent over me like wizened men.

Finally, my breath was whisked away from me when I took my first glimpse of the kingdom of Rivendell.

"Wow," I marvelled, eyes wide open. "If only Emma was here to see this." A then felt a slight pang of sadness that my best friend was far, far away from me. We had always been there for each other, 'only one phone call away', but now there could be centuries between us.

"Who's Emma?" Pippin piped up, while the other two hobbits gazed in wonder at the place before them.

"She is my best friend, although I don't know where she is at the moment," I replied sadly, giving Pippin a small smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Strider send her another queer look, as if he was still worried about her sanity. "Don't worry about it," I muttered to Pippin as Strider lead us through the open, golden gates. The ponies and Ilio were taken to the stables by two cloaked men servants whom Strider nodded to in thanks. The air was fresh and the sun's rays shone proudly over the palace, lending it a warm glow. Autumn leaves danced around gently in the slight breeze as we walked up the stairs, passing two armoured guards. I stared in utter amazement at the careful architecture, and impressive statues and artworks. Our footsteps echoed against the cold, marble floor. Soon, we came to a pair of closed double doors with guards at each side.

"A, im am hi na see hir Elrond," said Strider in a language I had never heard before. It sounded gentle as well as wise and hardy, almost like music to my ears. One of the guards nodded and they opened the doors for us.

"What language was that you spoke in?" I asked, sincerely.

"Sindarin Elvish, it is the language of the elves. Surely you knew that?" he replied, slightly curiously. Obviously people around here were supposed to recognize all the native languages. I didn't want to sound suspicious so I quickly answered.

"Oh, yes. I had just forgotten." I could see the man still wasn't entirely convinced but he just nodded and continued to walk into a huge chamber, us following him. The chamber had a chandelier hanging down in the middle, and at the end of it was a medieval throne in which an unusual man sat in. It was not his long brown, braided hair, almost flawless skin, rich golden robes, or towering figure that was unusual, but his ears. They were pointed. When I saw this, I took a step back in surprise. Strider gave me a light push forward and muttered quietly in my ear.

"What is it?"

"H-He has pointy ears!" I stuttered. Why was he not reacting like me? It's not everyday you see someone with pointy freakin' ears! Yet again, Strider gave me one of his troubled looks.

"We should probably hurry in getting you some treatment from the elves." So, these were elves. That explained the pointy ears, but still...

Strider then bowed before the elf in the throne, and the other four of us followed his lead.

"A, Aragorn réd-o Arathorn. Welcome na Rivendell. Im estel im will put cín mind at post ir im ped- i cín neth perian mellon a nin-iel are ui- safe. Frodo na- resting at i moment," said the tall elf in Sindarin. His voice was deep and wise.

"Thank cin, hir Elrond. Nin mellon hi, Chloe Anderson, mín found hen unconscious in i glad bo i rhûn Road. Im nifred he has lost some -o hen rín. Will cin n- able na help hen?" asked Strider. While they talked, a question came to me. How did Strider know how to speak in Sindarin if he was not an elf? Did that mean I could learn the language too? I hoped that I could, it sounded so much cooler than all the other languages back at home.

"Ah, yes. Im will trui nin best. Im will get some -o nin maids na escort hen na a spare bedroom an hen na get nursed. But an hi, cin a cín friends must post o cín travels." The tall elf then gestured for three young elf women to come over to him. "Take hi adaneth na a haust a rad- clothes an hen, then nall- an i healers." he said to the women. Although I could not understand him, I knew they were talking about me as the women soon came over and escorted me out of the chamber. I was only able to give a short wave to Strider and the hobbit before we rounded a corner and I saw them no more.

The two maid women lead me into the biggest bedroom that I had probably ever seen. However, there wasn't much in it, only a king-sized bed, bedside table, and a crimson love seat.

"I'm sorry it's not the biggest of rooms, but it's the only non-occupied room left," one maid apologized, sitting me down on the bed. It was so soft that I thought I could almost fall through it.

"No, no, it's fine," I said truthfully, then added. "What are your names?" The three maids looked at me as if I had gone bonkers. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to ask that, or maybe they didn't even have names. "Oh, nevermind, you don't need to answer that."

"No, no," the main maid replied. "It's we've never been asked our names before by any guest except the young Aragorn,"

"Young Aragorn?" I repeated.

"Yes. Aragorn is a man that the elves looked after since he was only a child, he happened to take an absurd liking toward me," she answered, smiling a little at the memory, but I was confused.

"But that would mean that you must be quite old, and you don't look it," I commented.

"Oh dear, I think Aragorn was right by saying that you had lost quite a lot of your memory."

"What?"

"Oh, come on, dear. We'll get you healed soon. Just lie down on the bed while I find you some new clothes. The ones you are wearing look dreadful, if I may say so myself,"

"But you still haven't told me your names," I argued, while following her orders.

"Very well, my name is Melda," she then gestured at the two other silent maids. "This is Meltôriel and Valpantiel."

"They're beautiful names," I whispered, more to myself then Melda, Meltôriel, or Valpantiel.

"Thank you, mam, but you must now get your rest, You've experienced a tiresome journey, I imagine," Melda advised strongly. As much as I wanted to keep asking questions and exploring this mysterious world, I knew Melda was right. I was exhausted. "I will get the healers, and hopefully they will be able to give you proper treatment." I nodded, and waved in farewell as the three maids left me alone to my thoughts.

Soon my eyelids started to droop and my head seemed to weigh a tonne. Then darkness took rule.

The world greeted my teal blue eyes with white light. A groan escaped my rose lips as I found my whole body ached. The white light began to fade into my surroundings, and for a moment I wondered where on earth I was. Then I realized that I wasn't on earth anymore. My attention was grabbed by the sky outside. It was the same colour as I had seen when I arrived in Rivendell. It was a magnificent cobalt blue splashed with candy floss, chiffon clouds with the sun glistening like a golden globe. But did that mean I only slept for about a couple of hours? It didn't feel like that, it felt like I was asleep for an entire day.

"Two days." A gruff unknown, but also strangely familiar voice uttered. I sat up in my bed and saw an elderly man who was standing at the side of my bed. He had long grey, wavy hair and an equally long beard, two wise blue eyes that his many secrets, and tan skin that wrinkled around the eyes. He wore a threadbare grey cloak and a sack like kaftan, a pointed grey 'Harry Potter' hat, and he clutched a staff made out of twisted wood.

"Do I know you?" I asked, quite rudely, staring at the odd man.

"I am Gandalf the Grey," he introduced in his gruff, yet calming voice.

"What's with with the wizard hat and wooden staff?"

"I am a wizard, young Miss. Chloe." My mouth fell open. There were wizards in this world too?! But what was a wizard doing in my room?

"What are you doing here?" I asked bluntly.

"I could ask you the same question," he retorted calmly, but it made my stomach plunge into cold water. Did he know I was from another world? What was he going to do if he did?

"Um," I mumbled, not sure of what else to say.

"What is a woman like yourself doing in Rivendell at this time of dire need?" questioned Gandalf. I sigh of relief escaped my lips. He didn't know, thank goodness he didn't know.

"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "I can't really remember anything."

"Well, the elves did as much as they could on you, so hopefully you will be able to retrieve your memory back again soon."

"Okay, well that's good, I suppose," I said and tried to get out of the bed, but Gandalf stopped me.

"Now, now, you must rest until your strength has fully recovered." I huffed in annoyance, how long did these people expect me to lounge around in bed?

"But you said I'd been sleeping for two days! That's like the longest I've ever slept for. I think, I just need a walk to recover my strength, not more sleeping!" I said, raising my voice a bit. The wizard only chuckled.

"Never before have I come across such a woman as yourself. very stubborn and headstrong, if you don't mind me saying. But I, however, do think you have got a point. I will speak to Lord Elrond to see if you can have a short walk," Gandalf smiled. I was starting to like this man more and more by the second. he was wise but humorous, elderly but could still make a good friend. Those traits seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place my finger on how.

"Thanks," I replied, a smile of my own gracing my lips.

"Yes, but I am afraid you'll have to wait a while. I have a very important meeting I have to attend to that starts very soon. However, after the meeting, I will talk to Elrond about your walk. But for now, just stay in bed. I don't think I shall take too long," he said the last part uncertainly, and that made my spirits hastily downcast. I knew I couldn't argue with him now, but I still wasn't pleased with the outcome. As soon as Gandalf left the room to his 'secret' meeting, I climbed out of bed. I didn't really care that I was disobeying anyone, I felt better anyway. Although my head still gave involuntary throbs and my legs were rather unstable beneath me, I ignored that and walked over to where I thought the wardrobe was. I was sure they wouldn't mind me changing into some more suitable clothes as mine were torn and dirty. When I opened the wardrobe, a excited look lighted up my face. There were at least two dozen beautiful silk dresses. Elvish dresses. My Girly girl self was literally singing as I searched through the dresses for the perfect one. An admiral blue one caught my attention so I took it out and examined it. It was sleeveless, had a glossy navy sash around the waist, and fell to the floor like a waterfall. Smiling, I carefully dressed into it, leaving my old clothes folded on the bed. I redid my hair also, as I had found a brush on the top of the wardrobe. I combed my marigold hair into a simple plait, a few strands shaping my face, then, feeling happy with my appearance, walked out of the bedroom.

To my surprise, I found that I was not alone in my walk when I entered the main hallway.

"Pippin? Merry? Sam?" I asked, bemused. The three froze in their footsteps, but then relaxed when they saw it was only me who was calling them. What were those trouble-maker's up to?

"Chloe!" Merry cried, running up to me, and wrapping his arms around my waist. "You're alright!" A laugh escaped my mouth and I patted his small head.

"I'm fine," I grinned. Pippin and Sam soon joined in on the hug.

"Are you sure you're okay, Miss. Chloe! We were mighty worried about you," Sam asked, concerned. I loved how he called me Miss. Chloe; it was so sweet.

"I'm sure, and I bet you guys weren't that worried about me."

"We were!" put in Pippin, and I ruffled his hair.

"Anyway, where were you going? You looked like you didn't want to get caught," I said suspiciously. The three hobbits shared guilty looks.

"Promise you won't tell?" Sam asked. This perked my interest and I nodded my head. How bad could it be?

"We're going to a secret meeting. Lots of people from different lands arrived in Rivendell. It seemed really important." Merry explained. They must be talking about Gandalf's meeting.

"You mean the meeting Gandalf's attending?" I questioned.

"Yes, how do you know Gandalf, anyway?" asked Sam.

"I have my ways," I replied mysteriously. "But what about this meeting?"

"Well, our friend Frodo is going to it, because he has the ri—" Pippin was cut off my shushing sounds made by his friends.

"Because he has what?" I persisted, interested.

"Nothing," Merry said, glaring at a guilty Pippin. "Well, we weren't exactly invited, but we're going anyway." How rebellious! But it also sounded intriguing. All this secrecy and mystery, perhaps spying on some meeting could be fun, and a lot more thrilling than going on a normal walk.

"Can I tag along too?" I asked, making surprised looks enter their faces.

"Of course, but why? We could get into a lot of trouble if anyone found out."

"I know." A mischievous smile came to my face. "That's why we won't get caught."


End file.
